The Other Six Petals
by ayshariham
Summary: Tatsuki gets drawn into a twisted plan as she strives to protect Orihime and awaken her own powers. Rated T for mild violence. Chapter 3's up!
1. Chapter 1

Title changed ^^. The plot's all ready in my head. Suggestions are very welcome. Pre-Hueco Mundo. (Except, Ishida has his powers =D )

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters. Or their original powers. What I do own is three characters. You'll meet them as they pop up somewhere along the story =D

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"Ask _whom _to the dance?" asked Orihime, with her mug frozen mid-way in the air.

Tatsuki settled back more comfortably against the wall. "Ichigo…? Kurosaki-ku~n?" she asked, teasingly.

Orihime turned a bright shade of red, and flapped her hand in front of her face, as if warding away imaginary flies. "N-No…I…Why…-"

Tatsuki grinned, and sipped her hot chocolate. There was something about Orihime's company that put her at ease. A Saturday night spent lazing away at Orihime's, coupled with the best chocolate drink made it into Tatsuki's favourite moments.

"-But Kurosaki-kun doesn't even know what flavor tea I like-". Tatsuki had long given up trying to figure out the derailed train of Orihime's thoughts.

"Did you even buy the tickets?" asked Tatasuki, over Orihime's mumblings. She looked surprised and shook her head, her hair whipping across her cheeks. "I'll get them soon, tomorrow, maybe…Tatsuki-chan, who are you going with?"

"I don't think I'm going." said Tatsuki, putting down her empty mug. She wasn't really into dances …

"You HAVE to come, Tatsuki-chan!" cried out Orihime, "I know! We'll go together, that way neither of us will be alone. Please, Please, Please, come-"

A shrill melody cut into her pleadings, and Orihime grabbed her mobile. "Hello?"

Someone was shouting at the other end. Loudly. Tatsuki could just make out some words.

_Ishi….. Blood…. Hurry._

She frowned and stared at Orihime, who looked slightly petrified. She snapped the phone shut, and got up. Tatsuki followed suit.

"Is everything okay?" Tatsuki asked worriedly, as Orihime opened the front door.

"Sorry, Tatsuki-chan. That was…I…Kurosaki-kun-"

_That idiot! What did he tell Orihime to get her this panicked_, thought Tatsuki.

"-he…just wants…some help. I'm sorry, I…have to go", stammered Orihime, averting her eyes. She hated not being able to tell Tatsuki everything that happened. But the last thing she wanted was to get Tatsuki into more trouble…

Tatsuki wordlessly left the house and walked with Orihime until the gate. She didn't ask Orihime what Ichigo wanted, and she knew Orihime appreciated her silence. She waved and took off the opposite way, wondering how she would spend the rest of the evening. She heard Orihime take off, till her hurried footsteps faded into the distance. Tatsuki wandered aimlessly, occasionally kicking a pebble around, her shoes crunching on the stray leaves and twigs littering the ground. Twilight was setting in, the last rays of the setting sun casting long shadows. She hummed a little, trying to keep her mind from thinking about whatever Orihime was hiding from her. _It didn't matter, it didn't matter, not at all…_

She didn't notice the tall shadow crossing into her path until she bumped into its caster.

Her eyes travelled upwards and looked into a pair of the deepest blue eyes. Short, black bangs fell casually above them. Tatsuki's breath caught and she stumbled as she tried to back off. The _very _good-looking stranger made no move to get out of her way. After a whole minute of more staring, Tatsuki blinked and took a few more steps back.

"Scared already, Tatsuki-_chan_?" he said, softly, taking his hands out of his jeans pocket.

Tatsuki immediately went on alert-mode. Handsome stranger who knew her name? _Not a good sign_.

"What do you want?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.

He walked over to a tree and leaned back against it. "Me? Nothing. There's something I want to show you though." he said, still in that soft tone, as if he was being gentle with a very ill person.

When Tatsuki didn't answer, he beckoned her to follow him and took off down the street.

Tatsuki's first instinct was to turn around and take off in the other direction, to put as much distance as possible between herself and him. She didn't quite get to carry out her plan though, because he said something that immediately caught her attention.

"_Don't you wonder what Orihime-chan is upto now?"_

Tatsuki froze. "Why…do you know Orhime…?" she asked. He didn't reply, and Tatsuki found herself following him, wondering who he was. She knew it was against her better judgment to do whatever she was doing right now, but her curiosity got the better of her. She followed him up a street, turn around a corner, go down another street…She wasn't really expecting to see anything when he ushered her around the next corner.

Which was why she froze for the second time that evening.

Ichigo and Rukia were up in the clearing ahead, clad in black robes, both wielding swords. Ishida lay beside them, coughing up blood. And in the center of it all, Orihime knelt, giving off an orange glow. Tatsuki would have thought they were practicing a strange play, if she hadn't chanced to look up and see a howling monster race their way.

And even as Ichigo raised his sword, Tatsuki's frightened scream erupted from her throat.

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_Omake-Madness!_

_Tatsuki: How long do I have to keep screaming?-_-_

_Ichigo: How long do I have to keep my sword raised? -_-_

_Orihime: Kurosaki-kun, there's bird droppings on your robe!_

_Ichigo: Aaaargh!!!!_

_Ishida: I'm still bleeding, you know?_

Next chapter: Tatsuki deals with the sudden explanation of Orihime's disappearances, while Ichigo slashes down the hollow. xD


	2. Chapter 2

A hand clamped around her mouth, stifling her scream. Tatsuki caught a glimpse of Ichigo swinging down his sword hard against the Hollow just as the green-eyed stranger grabbed her hand and pulled her back, towards the safety of the walls.

They stood still for a couple of minutes, till the mayhem around them dwindled down. Tatsuki knew the others had finished up and gone.

"Judging by your reaction, I'm guessing you didn't know about _them_. And Orihime-_chan_ was right under your nose too…",he said, observing Tatsuki carefully.

She glared at him, and broke free, an arm ready to punch him down if he so much as made a move. _Heck, she would punch him anyway-_

"My name's Carl. Nice to meet you", he said suddenly, smiling.

Tatsuki put her clenched fist to her side, threw him a dirty look, and turned to walk away. Her head felt heavy, burdened by what she had just witnessed. _Or rather, forced to witness. Who did he think he was? Why did he know about Orihime and the others? _

… _**She**__ hadn't known about them…_

His footsteps echoed behind her, as he followed. Tatsuki walked faster, trying to ignore him, and when he still remained beside her like her shadow, she stopped and looked at him squarely in the eye.

"If you don't stop following me, I'm going to beat you up. And by the time I'm done, you won't remember you even _had_ a name. So Carl, or whoever you are, leave me alone."

He took her threat calmly. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to anger you. Let me be frank, I need your help."

"And why would you expect me to help you?" she asked sharply.

"Because your friend is in danger. And you're the only one who can help her." he replied, dropping his voice to a whisper. "I can't talk about it right now. She's being targeted for her powers, the ones you just saw her use." He fidgeted with his bangs, while looking into the distance. "I'm running out of time. And so is she. Please meet me tomorrow night at this address. _You're the only one who can help us_." he finished, thrusting a piece of paper into her hand, before walking away hurriedly into the shadows of the night.

The world was getting darker as the night deepened, and Tatsuki slowly made her way home, her mind in a clutter of thoughts, one hand still clutched around the paper in her pocket.

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"TATSUKI-CHAN, DUCK!"

Tatsuki snapped out of her thoughts and ducked, just as a baseball came hurling in her direction, followed by Orihime in hot pursuit. Panting, she retrieved the ball and stopped by Tatsuki.

"Are you okay, Tatsuki-chan?" she asked, in between short breaths. "You seem out of it today…"

Any other day, Tatsuki would have been running around the ground, shouting orders to the baseball team. Today, she couldn't bring herself to get into the spirit. She half wondered if she should tell Orihime what she had seen, but she didn't want to worry Orihime. _And what about Carl? What exactly did he want from her?_

"I'm fine" Tatsuki said, grinning at Orihime. She took the ball, and ran towards the court, yelling "It's my turn to bowl!"

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_8pm. Shack behind Golden-Restaurant._

She re-read the untidy scrawl on the paper again, and glanced at her watch. 7.30pm. She put on her coat slowly, slipping her mobile into her pocket. Tatsuki knew going to meet a stranger at night, alone, was stupid (and probably dangerous), but she couldn't bring herself to talk to Orihime or Ichigo about it yet_. _

_How was she supposed to tell them she knew about their powers, when they had clearly kept it a secret from her. Even Orihime hadn't wanted her to know…_

On the other hand, if what Carl had said was true, and Orihime was in danger, the last thing to do would be to make her meet a stranger. Tatsuki wasn't really worried. She was strong enough to defend herself, and she knew a single call to Ichigo would bring her the help she needed if things got worse.

She closed the door behind her carefully. Braving the cold wind, she made her way towards the restaurant, wondering what Carl would reveal this time.

She was surprised when she realized she was a little excited about it.

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**Omake Madness!**

**Ichigo**: Oi! YOU! Author-woman! Bleach is about ME slashing through Hollows, about ME saving the troubled, and about ME in general. Why didn't you mention me even ONCE in this chapter?!"

**Tatsuki**: She did. In my thoughts…

**Ichigo: **I refuse to accept such a story! Cancel-!

_***Bam!***_

**Tatsuki**: As Ichigo is out cold, I'll take this quick opportunity to give the preview for the next chapter-

**!Orihime!**: Tatsuki-chan's going to beat the truth out of Carl!!! And then she'll find a magical stone, and with the help of a talking parrot, become the Queen of Karakura-

**Me**: DON'T JUST RUN AWAY WITH THE PLOT LIKE THAT!!!

Review, please =) If you find any plot-holes, any errors, too much OOC-ness, feel free to PM me about it. You readers are the ones who can help me write a better story! =)


	3. Chapter 3

The wind howled in her ears as she neared the darkened shack. Tiny snippets of music floated in from the restaurant nearby. The shack was enveloped in darkness and Tatsuki wished she had thought of bringing a torch. She pulled out her mobile and walked slowly towards the entrance in the dim luminescence.

"Carl? Are you in there?", she called out softly, her fists clutched and her body poised to run in case of any surprise attacks.

A bright flash of white light shone in response and Tatsuki's arm went up to shield her eyes. Peering, she could just make out Carl in the distance, waving.

"Hey! I didn't think you would come.", he said, lowering his torch.

She followed him slowly into the shack, illuminated by Carl's torch. Rotting wood jutted out and moss covered the old walls. Carl seated himself upon a broken stool but Tatsuki remained standing, her arms crossed. She waited for him to talk but after two minutes of silence, she spoke.

"Alright, what were you going to tell me? Who's after Orihime?" she asked, her voice steady.

Carl looked nervous and picked at a loose thread on his shirt. "What you saw yesterday…Your friends…they are different…"

Tatsuki looked exasperated as she said, "My friends have powers that I know nothing of. Maybe I wasn't supposed to know. Why are you dragging me into this?"

"Because you have powers too.", said Carl, sounding slightly surprised. "You can see those monsters, Hollows, can't you? You can see SoulReapers as well. That means you have powers too."

It was Tatsuki's turn to be surprised. Her eyes widening, she whispered, "I? I have…powers?"

Carl nodded. "Yeah. They're just not awakened yet. I can help you…I can help you bring out the powers sleeping within you…You're just as special as them, Tatsuki. You just need a little push…"

"Why are you doing this? You don't know me! Why do you want to help me? " said Tatsuki, her voice wavering a little. _His offer was tempting, but she didn't know anything about him. Or what he really wanted…_

"My master established a group for people with undeveloped powers." Carl said, standing up. " People like you. I joined it 5 years ago, and ever since then, my master has helped me awaken my powers."

In answer to Tatsuki's curious expression, he waved an arm. A small log at the far side of the cabin flew up into the air and whooshed past a surprised Tatsuki out of the cabin, and exploded into the ground.

"Telekinesis." Carl stated simply.

Tatsuki dropped to her knees, taking fast, shallow breaths. The airborne log had come without warning, and her heart was beating fast in response, her mind replaying what she had just seen.

_Did she have a similar power? She knew something was different about her… She could see those Hollows. She remembered unclear memories of them, in a school. Was Orihime there too? If she had powers, she could protect them both…_

…_But was Carl saying the truth? What if she was just a normal girl…?_

"We have only 15 members so far. They are girls and boys of various ages, some with powers and some without, but all needing guidance.", said Carl, fully composed. He lowered his voice a little. "You need help too. Why should _they_ alone get to join the fight against evil? Why haven't your friends invited you to their little excursions? You're no different from them, except in regard to their powers. Why have you been kept in the dark, Tatsuki? _Why…?"_

"I would have been in the way, that's why" she hissed at him. "And they had every right to do so; I would have just been a burden!"

Carl smiled down at her. "Exactly. But this group has the power to change that. Will you join us, Tatsuki? In return for your loyalty, we'll help you awaken your powers." He extended a hand towards her.

"You said Orihime was in trouble.", said Tatsuki, ignoring Carl's hand and getting to her feet slowly.

"I don't know the details. But if you see it, maybe you'll understand it…" replied Carl, pulling out something from his pocket.

It was a small, round, shiny mirror. Strange characters bordered it, and it shone in the bright torch-light. She took is from him and looked into it. Her fazed reflection looked back. "There's nothing in-"

A ripple broke across the smooth mirror.

Another few ripples followed it, and Tatsuki strove to see the reflection. She saw a snatch of orange, a streak of green, white sand, a palace, a mask, a white tower, bars, _Orihime_…Orihime stood inside the jailed tower, forlorn in a white gown.

And as quickly as the vision appeared, it passed away and the mirror dissolved into Tatsuki's reflection again.

"What was that?" breathed Tatsuki, clutching the mirror tightly.

"Careful", said Carl, taking the mirror from her. "It's my Master's. It gives us premonitions of the future. Some people get visions and dreams of the future. They can use the mirror more efficiently. People like us can only catch glimpses at the most."

Tatsuki was only half-listening. There was no more doubt in her mind. Orihime was in trouble, and Tatsuki knew she had to save her…save her from being abandoned at that tower. If joining Carl was the way to do it, she would. If she had any powers, she was going to bring them to the surface, and perfect them. No one would ever hurt Orihime.

She looked up at Carl, determined. "I wish to awaken my powers. I'll join you."

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**Omake-Madness!**

Carl: *points his torch in Tatsuki's face* Say Cheese!

Tatsuki: …

*BAM!*

Tatsuki: Moving-plot! My uber-cool decision! Next chapter, I go away with Carl to practice! Put me on your Story-Alert! =D


End file.
